Well Oil Wednesday! : George Washington was a hemp farmer.

Hemp Smoothie
1 scoop hemp protein
2 Tbs hemp oil
1 c. berries (frozen or fresh)
1/2 banana
1 c. hemp milk (or coconut or almond milk)
1/2 c. ice

Put into a blender and blend until well mixed. Hemp has a nutty flavor and the oil is a green color. So, you might want a little sweetener like raw, unfiltered honey. 

Enjoy!

Hemp, it gets a bad reputation by association to its cousin, marijuana. These are actually two separate plants and it is time for hemp to make a big comeback! 

The hemp plant itself has a long history throughout the world. It is one of the best sources of protein you can buy. Although, I am interested in the oil in this post, let me take a brief moment to give attention to the whole plant. For vegans or vegetarians it is ideal because it is a complete plant protein.  This means that it has all essential amino acids, in fact it has all 20 amino acids.  It is has magnesium and iron to aid in tissue repair and maintenance. 

Hemp oil is right up there with coconut oil in my book, except that you can not cook with it. It has an ideal omega- 6 to omega -3 ratio of 3:1. Why is this important? Because these essential fatty acids aid in metabolizing fat, nervous system development and function, heart and hormone function.  Most Americans consume a far unbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (heavy on the omega - 6).  Omega -3 helps combat that by lowering inflammation in the body.  I often tell patients suffering from allergies to up their omega-3 intake during flare ups because it will help decrease the inflammation and lead to less suffering.  

Another reason I love this plant is because it naturally grows well in most ecosystems and does not require any pesticides or herbicides to thrive. Therefore, it is a bonus for the environment! 

Other uses for hemp throughout history have been rope, paper, clothing and much more. Yes, George Washington was a hemp farmer, the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper, Old Glory was a hemp fiber flag and even George Bush Sr. had a life-saving hemp parachute in World War II.